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That horrible ugly hill!! I can’t seem to keep any grass on it! If this sounds familiar we have the solution for you!

Hills, slopes and banks can be very challenging when it comes to growing grass. Many types of grass such as fescue, rye, Bermuda and St. Augustine do not have very long roots. This makes it hard for these grasses to hold on during heavy rains and down pours. Once the grass washes away it allows erosion to start. This allows your topsoil to wash away making gullies and making it more difficult to grow new grass.

When trying to repair the erosion, planting grass seed on hills and slopes can be very frustrating. After sowing the seed, if you have a rain, the seeds may wash away or the birds eat and carry them away leaving little to take a roothold. What seeds do take are easily washed away even in light rain causing more soil erosion. Even watering becomes difficult as the top of the hill dries out and the bottom is too wet.

This is not the case with Amazoy zoysia grass plugs. Amazoy zoysia grass is excellent on hills, slopes and banks. This grass is planted as plugs, which gives the roots more to hold on to from the beginning, allowing the grass to take a good hold. Amazoy zoysia grass roots can reach up to 2 feet in length once established. With roots like that you will never have to worry about erosion again. Instead you will be enjoying a thick full carpet of grass on your hills, slopes and banks.

You also get an added bonus. Amazoy is also a much slower growing grass resulting in a lot less mowing, which is also great when it comes to hills and slopes. Especially going uphill!

Have you ever noticed the dead plant material like leaves and stems that builds up between the soil and the living grass? That is Thatch! Thatch is a natural process and is necessary to help protect the roots, however excessive thatch prevents moisture, oxygen and nutrients from penetrating the soil.

Allowing the thatch to build up can result in an unhealthy lawn. Thatch also increases the chance of problems with pest, fungus and lawn diseases. If your lawn has less than ½ inch of thatch it is fine. If you have a layer of thatch ½ of an inch or more then its time to de-thatch.

To remove a build up of thatch there are a few approaches you can take. You can do the dreaded vigorously raking in two directions. Or, to make the job a little easier you can use a de-thatching machine. The easiest way to get rid of thatch is by using a water soluble thatch remover, such as our “Liquid Thatch Remover” product. Just attach the container to your garden hose and spray your lawn.

Using a rake or a de-thatching machine can be hard on the turf, so you only want to de-thatch when the grass is actively growing and has time to recover before the winter weather. Early spring, after the grass has greened up, is good time to de-thatch a lawn. Do not de-thatch your lawn when it is in a dormant state, this can damage your lawn.

Converting a regular lawn to a zoysia lawn using plugs is a good home project that is not as difficult and complicated as some may think. Where to start?!!

The first step is to determine how many square feet your lawn or the area you want to convert is. This can be accomplished by measuring the width and length then multiplying them together. Example your lawn is 40 feet long 35 feet wide, your square footage would be 1400 square feet.

Once you have determined your square footage the next step would be deciding how close you want to place the plugs. The closer they are placed the quicker the fill in time will be. We recommend at least one plug every square foot. If possible planting one plug every six inches, two plugs per square foot, will give you a full zoysia lawn quicker. The plugs can be placed as close as you want. You can visit our plug calculator at www.zoysiafarms.com and let it calculate the needed plugs for you.

If you are planting the plugs in a regular lawn, fescue, rye, Kentucky bluegrass, etc. you can plant right within these types of grasses. There is no need to remove your current lawn, add soil or start from scratch. As the plugs start to spread they will choke out these grasses.

If you are planting in a Bermuda or St. Augustine lawn, it would be best to clear a few inches around each plug to eliminate the competition since they are aggressive grasses. Once the plugs become strong enough the zoysia plugs will choke out the St. Augustine or Bermuda.

Follow the planting instructions received with the plugs or watch the video on our website, under the tab “Planting Zoysia” and you are on your way to a beautiful, lush zoysia lawn. You will be glad you did for many years to come.

When establishing or repairing a warm season lawn either plugs, sod and sometime seeds are used. To help you determine which is best for you here is a little information on each.

A grass plug is a square of sod that is usually 1 inch by 1 inch or larger. Plugs are usually used to establish a spreading warm season lawn. Grasses such as Zoysia, St Augustine and Bermuda are the most common grasses planted as plugs.

Plugs are the most economical way to start a new lawn and ideal for the homeowner to do. Plugging a lawn has a much higher success rate than seeds. When planting plugs, the area does not have to be tilled, you can plant within an existing lawn. Plugging a lawn does require patience while waiting for the lawn to fill in. Keep in mind the closer the plugs are planted the quicker you will have a full lawn.

Sod will give you an instant lawn, however it is very expensive and is best done by a professional. Sod is usually purchased in sheets or rolls. When laying sod, the area does have to be tilled, cleared and leveled before planting. If the sod is not laid correctly it can leave an uneven lawn.

Many strains of zoysia grasses are not available in seed form. The few that are can also be expensive with a low success rate and can require a lot of care when starting. Seeding a warm weather lawn is best done by a professional. Most zoysia seeds are not as cold tolerant as the plugs and sod.

All three methods will give you a great lawn. However, plugs are a great way for homeowners to successfully start a new or revive an existing lawn at an economical price!

To understand the importance of applying lime to your lawn you need to know what lime actually is and when your lawn needs some.

Lime is a soil amendment or conditioner it is not a fertilizer. Lime is used to balance the acidity level of your soil. You can test your soil using a soil test kit, pH meter or having it professionally tested.

This may not seem important, however once you understand what the soil pH means to your lawn you will understand how valuable lime can be.

The soil pH is calculated on a scale from 1-14. One meaning your soil is very acidic and 14 meaning your soil is very alkaline. Zoysia lawns thrive in soil pH levels between 6 and 7. The pH in your soil affects how minerals behave as a result how easily grass and plants can absorb them. Even though most minerals and nutrients are present in your soil if your pH is too low or too high they are not available to your plants.

The best time to add lime to your lawn is in the fall, winter or early spring. Lime can be applied using powder, pellet or liquid lime, such as our Café Lime which you simply attached to your hose and spray. This will allow for better and even distribution. The amount of lime will vary with the degree of acidity. It is recommended to follow the package instructions.

Don’t get discouraged if your pH levels do not reach the desired range after one application of lime, it may take a few years to get your soil pH in the correct range.

It won’t be long until those ugly weeds start sprouting up in lawns. You can get a handle on the weeds before they even show themselves if you use a pre-emergent.

A pre-emergent is a weed killer that targets the weed seeds already in the soil from the previous year. To get ahead of those summer weeds applying a pre-emergent in early March or once your soil temperature reaches about 52 degrees, will destroy the weed seeds. The pre-emergent MUST be applied before the weeds emerge. Once the weeds have emerged a pre-emergent will not have any effect on the weeds.

Pre-emergent applied in the early spring will control weeds such as, crabgrass, dandelions, foxtails, goose grass, clover, plantains and many more. Be sure to read the label on the pre-emergent to verify what type of grass it is safe for, the types of weeds it destroys and the proper application instructions. A pre-emergent will not harm Amazoy zoysia grass because it does not propagate from seed.

Multiple applications will best control the wide variety of weeds and their varying germination periods. You may want to check out our organic pre-emergent “Gluten 8.” You simply attach the applicator bottle to your garden hose and spray.

This simple step can save you a lot of aggravation, time and energy allowing you to enjoy a more beautiful lawn.

What is causing brown patches to show up in my zoysia lawn? It was doing really well a few months ago!

Although rare, common causes for brown patches to form in an otherwise healthy lawn are a thatch buildup, fungus, disease or an insect problem. All of these problems can be solved with a little effort.

A thatch build up can cause the grass to start dying, turning brown in color, allowing other weeds, fungus and grasses to invade your zoysia lawn. To correct the build up you would need to use a dethatching machine or vigorously rake the thatch out. Only do this when the grass is actively growing. For an easier solution a product such as our “Liquid Thatch Remover” can be sprayed on the lawn to rid and prevent a thatch build up.

There are many different types of fungus and disease that can affect the grass. If you suspect any of these it is very important to treat the area right away. Most fungus and disease are caused by thatch buildup, over fertilizing, hot humid temperatures, poor drainage and circulation. Correcting these conditions and if necessary the application of a fungicide can eliminate most fungus and disease. We do carry an organic fungicide, NPP Broad Spectrum Fungicide. If you are not sure you have a fungus or disease in your lawn it would be best to take a sample to your local garden center.

Some insects that live in the soil will eat the roots of lawn grasses. These insects are grubs, chinch bugs, nematodes and mole crickets. An infestation of these insects will cause the grass to die and turn brown. The use of an insecticide would need to be applied. Be sure to check the label and verify that what you are using will kill these types of insects not all insecticides will.

These are some of the most common causes of brown patches in your lawn.

Understanding how your Zoysia grows and spreads can help you to maintain and care for your lawn properly.

There are several parts to a zoysia plant. I am going to touch on some of the main parts, the crown, roots, rhizome, stolons, leaf blade and seedhead.

The crown is the main shaft of the plant which is attached to the tap roots. The tap roots can grow up to 2 feet long. The tap root is where the plant absorbs water under ground. Due to the long length of this root it can reach a lot of water that other grasses can not.

The crown also produces Rhizomes, which are roots that are underground about 4-5 inches and grow outward and upward, producing new plants. This is how the grass spreads underground.

From the crown stolons also form and run along the top of the soil. About every inch there is a small cluster, called a node. This node will eventually take a roothold forming a new plant. The stolons are how zoysia grass spreads above ground.

Most importantly, water, sunlight and nutrients are absorbed through the leaf blade and soil. These are past from the leaf blade down to the roots of the plant and then fed to the rest of the plant.

The seedhead usually does not grow if the grass is kept mowed. The seeds that are produced on most zoysia grasses are not used to propagate zoysia. The success rate is very low if at all. Successful zoysia lawns are most often grown from plugs, sprigs or sod.

Wow! Zoysia has been around for a long time. Did you know that zoysia was a staple grass from as far back as the 12th century in Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea? Zoysia grass has blanketed the Imperial Place grounds in Tokyo – Japan since the 14th century. Zoysia grass has been used for ages in Japanese Gardens which are used for inspiring and soothing the soul and for the love of nature and peace.

In 1801 zoysia grass was named after a “country gentleman” Karl Von Zois also an amateur botanist and plant collector. Not until 1951 was zoysia grass released for commercial development in the US and finally to homeowners in 1953.

Zoysia can be found almost anywhere from our nation’s capital, Washington, DC to Korea. These are a few places zoysia grass has been used, on the grounds of the National Mall and Regan Airport also the FDA building and US Court House. Some of the other places zoysia can be found are the Naval Academy Golf Course, in Annapolis, Md., Southwind Golf and Country Club in Memphis, TN. The use of Zoysia is as diverse as the Md. Soccer Complex in Germantown, Md. to the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Pa.

Zoysia is becoming more and more popular in other sports centers. Zoysia grass was used in the World Cup of Soccer in Korea and even the Olympics. When players take a tumble or fall on the zoysia grass it is like they are falling on a carpet instead of the hard ground. Your children will love the softness of zoysia grass as much as the athletics do.

This is a decision that has to be made when choosing what type of grass you want for your lawn. Someone once said, “No matter what type of grass you have you will have a brown lawn at some point of the year.” Why does the grass go brown? Depending on the type of grass you have would determine when and why it turns brown.

Zoysia is a warm weather grass. As a way to protect itself from the cold temperatures Zoysia goes dormant (to sleep) for the winter. When the grass is dormant it turns a light honey brown color, it is not dead. When dormant the grass does not require any type of care or maintenance. It will keep its well manicured look, since it does stop growing during this time. Not all zoysia grasses can withstand the colder climates. Amazoy zoysia is the most cold tolerant of all of the zoysia grasses, it can withstand temperatures to 30 below zero.

On the other hand, cool weather grasses do not go dormant in the winter, however many do go dormant in the hot dry summer months. These grasses turn brown and even die when the temperatures get really hot. The only way to keep them green is to water, water and water the lawn! Extra watering is becoming more difficult to do because of the droughts, cost of water, watering restrictions, well limitations and the time it takes to stay on schedule.

Do I want my grass to be green in the winter months, when it is not used much and in some areas covered with snow? Or, do I want my grass to be green and lush in the summer months when it is used the most?

If you want green grass in the summer then you want a warm weather grass like Amazoy zoysia grass!